May 27, 2026 | 02:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Culture Minister Fadli Zon said President Prabowo Subianto has frequently visited France because the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and France is considered strategic and mutually beneficial for both countries.“I think our economic relationship is good, and it is mutually beneficial. We also have a very good relationship in various sectors,” Fadli said after attending Eid al-Adha prayers at Istiqlal Mosque on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.Fadli acknowledged that Prabowo’s repeated visits to France are closely related to geopolitical and bilateral interests. However, he emphasized that Indonesia’s relations with many countries around the world are also strategic in nature.Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said President Prabowo’s official visit to France is expected to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. According to Teddy, Indonesia and France currently maintain cooperation across a number of important sectors.“Currently, Indonesia has many highly strategic collaborations with France, and this state visit is expected to further strengthen Indonesia’s position in Europe, especially in France,” Teddy said in a written statement issued on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.In addition, Teddy said the relationship between Indonesia and France is viewed as complementary in the broader context of global relations.“Indonesia is one of the main gateways for European relations with Asia, while France is an important gateway for Asian, especially Southeast Asian, relations with Europe,” he said.Teddy also explained that Prabowo’s visit to France was intended to fulfill an invitation from the French government that had originally been scheduled long ago.“The invitation had been arranged since last year and underwent several reschedulings,” Teddy said.Deputy State Secretary Minister Juri Ardiantoro also confirmed President Prabowo’s visit to France when asked about the president’s schedule during Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.According to Juri, Prabowo departed for France on Monday night, May 25, 2026.“The President left last night for an overseas working visit to France,” Juri said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.During his first 19 months in office, Prabowo has made four state and official visits to France, according to Tempo’s records.Prabowo previously visited France in mid-July 2025, when he attended the Bastille Day Military Parade 2025 at Place de la Concorde as an honored guest.Earlier this year, in January 2026, Prabowo also made a short visit to France lasting less than five hours. The visit took place after the chair of the Gerindra Party completed a series of trips to the United Kingdom and Switzerland.During that visit, Prabowo reportedly held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron for around two hours and 30 minutes, beginning with a dinner meeting. The two leaders discussed global geopolitical issues as well as France’s leadership role as host of the G7 summit.Most recently, Prabowo visited the Élysée Palace in Paris on Tuesday afternoon, April 14, 2026 local time, to meet with Macron once again. The meeting was later shared by Prabowo through his official Instagram account, @presidenrepublikindonesia.Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to the writing of this article.Read: Indonesian Diaspora in France Welcomes Prabowo in Paris
